


dulcet

by falterth



Series: Naruto Femslash Week 2018 [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Background Relationships, F/F, Naruto Femslash Week 2018, domestic life, gay wives being gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 05:39:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15812532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falterth/pseuds/falterth
Summary: Life is sweet. Married life is sweeter.(Non-linear snapshots of the front door, featuring Karin and Hinata. Naruto Femslash Week 2018 day one, “domestic life” prompt.)





	dulcet

**Author's Note:**

> DAY ONE OF FEMSLASH WEEK IS HERE. ARE Y'ALL HYPE BECAUSE I SURE AM

“I could at least _try_ to do something—”

“I’m—I don’t know. I think this one’s going to fuck me up. It’s—you’re not in—” Karin fumbles for her words. She _needs_ to explain, _needs_ to get her words across, but it’s _hard._ Nobody ever told her it would be this hard. “We’re . . . ”

“We’re what?” Hinata asks.

“We’re shinobi,” Karin says, finally finding the right way to say it. “Anniversaries aren’t supposed to matter. Not when we could die at any second.”

“That means they matter _more!_ It’s not silly, it’s not lame, it’s not insignificant. When every second is precious you just—”

“I said they weren’t _supposed_ to matter,” Karin mutters, bringing up the palm of her hand to rub at her right eye. ANBU aren’t supposed to show any emotion. Karin shows too much. She carefully straps her owl mask on and turns to look at Hinata. “We can do something late.”

Hinata keeps on staring at her until Karin feels self-conscious in her uniform, in her own skin, and then she holds her arms out for a hug. “Before you go?” she asks quietly.

Karin bites her lip—not that Hinata can see it. “Before I go,” she agrees, leaning into Hinata and wrapping her arms tightly around her wife. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Hinata says. She releases Karin and opens the door for her. “Come back safe, okay?”

“Okay,” Karin says, regretting that she can’t wipe at her eyes because of the mask. “I will. I promise.”

The door shuts behind her. The sun is coming up on the horizon. Karin looks behind, just once, at the pale brown front door, and books it to ANBU HQ.

_#_

“I’m gonna be late to the academy!” Hinata says frantically, doing up her shoes in the hallway. Oh, crap. Her forehead protector’s on the nightstand. “Karin! I left my forehead protector on the nightstand. Oh, gods, I’m going to be late. It’s _team assignment day._ And I need to give them back their final essays. Karin? Did . . . did I remember to grade the papers?”

“You did,” Karin confirms. Her voice is far away, but it comes closer soon enough, along with the sound of heavy footsteps. “Here’s your forehead protector. Aaaaaand . . . your papers.”

Hinata stands up slowly, making sure not to drop anything. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, I really have to go now.”

Karin grins and opens the door wide, bending down in a mock-bow. “Have a wonderful day, milady.”

If Hinata’s arms weren’t full of papers, she would swat Karin. As it is, she only has time to kiss Karin on the cheek after she straightens up. “Bye. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

_#_

“Delivery.”

“You aren’t a delivery boy, Sasuke, you’re a florist,” Karin says, opening the door. “Or is there something you want to tell me about your career choices? Have you been _lying_ to me?”

“Oh, yes, of course. I dumped my cushy job working with flowers all day to carry boxes around,” Sasuke replies, holding out a box for her. It’s a little crumpled. Because this is Sasuke, though, she’s just glad he didn’t drop the box in a sewer or something. “It’s the tea Hinata said she wanted. Sakura was going crazy trying to find it.”

“Don’t tell me—”

“—she went to Wind just to get it,” Sasuke finishes. Karin groans. “I’m not joking.”

“I know you aren’t, and that’s the worst part,” Karin says. “I’ll give this to her in a second. You know she’s going to turn this into a competition, though, right? Oh. _Oh._ Don’t . . . don’t tell me—”

“—this is just a scheme for Hinata to buy her those chakra kunai that Tenten is selling? It is,” Sasuke finishes again. Karin’s starting to find that she kind of likes their dynamic now. It’s certainly an improvement from constantly following Sasuke around the village. “The lengths those two will go to buy presents for each other. Gods.”

“Makes me wonder who Hinata’s really married to,” Karin jokes. An involuntary grin breaks out on her face. “Man, I’m really glad Hinata has more friends, though.”

“I’m gonna go home now,” Sasuke says abruptly.

Oh, Sasuke, Karin thinks. Please work on your social skills.

“You do that,” Karin agrees, nodding. “I, on the other hand, will enjoy some tea with my fabulous wife, who I am married to. Married, Sasuke.”

Sasuke turns red—Karin can’t tell if it’s from indignation or embarrassment—and balls his fists up. “I’m working on it. Do you know how hard it is to find days where Naruto _and_ Sakura aren’t busy?”

“No, but I’m sure _you_ do,” Karin says. She has no mercy for Sasuke these days. She used to feel bad for him, but now . . . now, it’s just hilarious. “Now go home and stew over it, or whatever else you do in your _copious_ free time. I’m busy today and you probably don’t want to spend a few hours standing on my doorstep.”

“Hn,” Sasuke grunts, reminding Karin eerily of their academy days. She’s got to get Sasuke to stop doing that, or else it’ll haunt her for the rest of her life. “Fine.”

Karin shuts the door once he’s gone and turns around, box of tea clutched in one hand. She doesn’t understand why Hinata likes herbal teas. It’s not even _real_ tea. And anyway, green tea is so _obviously_ superior. Hmph. “Having fun?” Karin’s attention is drawn toward the end of the hallway, where Hinata’s standing, leaning with one hip against the wall.

“Hardly,” Karin says, pushing up her glasses. “Sasuke’s not the best conversationalist.”

“Oh, and you are?”

“Be quiet, you,” Karin says fondly. “Here’s your tea, by the way. Sakura wants you to buy her a set of chakra kunai in return.”

Hinata snorts. “Maybe when she finally proposes to Sasuke.”

“You know, I’m staking my bets on Naruto finally snapping and buying the rings first,” Karin says, heading into the kitchen with Hinata. “He’s the type to do that.”

_#_

“Yes, Karin, I’m sure,” Hinata says, hoping to ease some of Karin’s fears.

“But—but—you’re gonna have to take some time off from the academy! I’m not saying I don’t want to either—I would _love_ kids—but, you know, I could carry them, too. You finally have a job you love. Teaching is . . . you’re the happiest you’ve ever been since you started the academy. I can take a break from ANBU. Being a teacher is full-time,” she reasons.

“Chōji would sub in for me. I trust him,” Hinata says. “I really trust him. And, Karin . . . I really want this. Imagine how beautiful our children would be. People, all on their own . . . people that _we_ created. People that don’t have to become shinobi if they don't want to.”

Karin brushes her hair out of her face and bites her lip. “Okay. You know, we could have more than one kid. You could carry the first one and I could carry the second one. I just want to be fair to you.”

“It’s fair. I chose this,” Hinata reassures her. _Breathe, Hinata. It’s going to be okay. Karin’s going to be okay. She’s just hesitant._

“Okay,” Karin says. “All right. But, you know . . . we should take this conversation to the living room. You look just about dead on your feet.”

Hinata laughs gently. “Did you forget? It’s your turn to make dinner tonight. To the kitchen!”

_#_

“Peach or brown?”

“I feel like brown would look better . . . The door is brown. Come on, I’ll show you. Brown door, brown exterior. Open door . . . ”

“But don’t you think brown everywhere would get boring?”

“We can switch it up. It can be a dark brown.”

“But peach . . . ”

“Okay. Hallway will be peach. Pale peach?”

“Definitely.”

“ . . . Our room’s going to be brown, though.”

“Fine by me.”

_#_

Nobody’s in the front hallway. Voices can be heard, though, if one listens close enough.

“ . . . marry me?”

For a good thirty seconds, there is silence. A ruffling noise drifts into the empty hallway. Somebody sniffles.

“Oh, thank the gods. I’d thought you say no.”

Someone—Hinata, most likely—laughs. Silence falls again. Clothes ruffle. Something scuffles on thick carpet.

“No way! You were—”

“I thought I’d propose to you before we went to bed. Looks like you beat me to the punch.”

Laughter lines the air. The warmth in the house thickens. Quiet voices carry on, and the hallway is dark and the door is shut, and life is sweet.


End file.
